Pro-Russian official admits Putin’s forces have looted remains of 18th century prince

The remains of an 18th-century prince, along with other historical artifacts, were recovered from a cathedral in Ukraine, a pro-Russian official has admitted.

The armed forces have claimed to have taken the monument to Grigory Potemkin, a Russian war hero, and a bag containing his skull and bones from St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Kherson to “protect” the remains.

His remains, including carefully numbered bones, had been in a black bag in his coffin.

Vladimir Saldo, the so-called head of the Kremlin-backed government in Russian-occupied Kherson, said: “We have transported the remains of the Holy Prince that were in Saint Catherine’s Cathedral to the Left Bank.

‘We transported Potemkin ourselves. These were my decisions because these are my powers, my duties and responsibilities.’

Saldo made the extraordinary confession that pro-Russian officials stole cultural and historical artifacts in an interview with Putin’s spokesperson Krim 24.

Saldo, a Ukrainian politician who betrayed his own country at the start of the war, said he had made the decision to remove monuments, statues and artifacts from the city.

“All relics will return to their place because our cause is just. We want nothing more than to live a peaceful life,” he said.

His comments hinted at the fierce fighting that will engulf the southern region in the coming weeks as Ukraine aims to retake the territory occupied by Russia in March.

Potemkin was an 18th-century commander who wanted to build a new Russia for his lover, Catherine the Great, and annexed Crimea in 1783.

He also founded the cities of Odessa and Kherson in what is now southern Ukraine.

Known as a great admirer of the military leader, Vladimir Putin often invokes his vision of restoring a lost Russian empire.

The Russian despot’s puppet politicians in southern Ukraine said last night they had evacuated another 70,000 people from the area.

Kiev says that number also includes some of its own citizens who have been forcibly deported to Russia.

The looming battle for the city of Kherson at the mouth of the Dnipro River will determine whether Ukraine can loosen Russia’s hold on the south.

Kherson’s Russian-appointed regional government said it has moved to the left bank of the river pending more fighting between Ukraine and the occupying forces.

Gene. Oleksii Gromov, the chief of the main operations division of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army, said Russia may have allowed explosions to take place in residential buildings in the city of Kherson before withdrawing.

He said the Russian goal was “to cause critical damage to the infrastructure of the areas reclaimed by Ukraine.”

Hundreds of civilians have already been sent across the Dnieper River as Ukrainian troops advance on the right bank.

Several other statues and monuments have been removed from their pedestals in Kherson city center.

This included a monument to Potemkin erected in 2003. The empty baseboards were seen in footage shot in Kherson over the weekend.

The removal of Potemkin’s remains prompted a historian to respond on Twitter.

Simon Sebag Montefiore said, ‘So what will Putin do with the stolen body of Serenissimus Prince Potemkin of Taurida?

“While Potemkin hated Putin’s primitive brutal nationalism, I predict a grand imperial TV spectacle when Putin will bury Potemkin in a flashy new tomb in Moscow and promote his war.”

But a Russian-appointed official, Kirill Stremousov, downplayed any threat of a ground invasion from Kherson.

He said: ‘We are saving the heritage – not from the Nazis entering the city, but from shelling that has recently become so chaotic that it can now affect everything from museums to schools and hospitals.’

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s president was skeptical that Russian troops would withdraw from Kherson.

Zelensky told Corriere Della Sera, “I don’t see any Russians running away from Kherson.

‘This is a ruse. I’m not free to reveal everything, but this is a ruse to get us to move our troops here from other hotspots.’

It comes as Ukrainian police said Russian troops have moved into residential buildings in several cities.

This includes Kherson, which is being overrun with vacant buildings after the area has been evacuated.

In recent days, it has also been alleged that Russian forces forcibly removed at least 2,000 people and brought them to Crimea, according to Ukrainian intelligence officials.

Many of the evacuees were children who, according to the unnamed official, had been forcibly taken from their families in what they termed a “kidnapping.”